Apparatus in and relating to trail-carriage guns mounted on endless tracks for varying the height of the line of fire of the gun



Dec. 18, 1923. 1,477,979

E. SCHNEIDER `APPARATUS IN AND RELATING T0 TRAIL'CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTEDON ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT OF THE LINE 0F FIRE 0F THE GUNFiled-April -30 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I rFigi I\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\i\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ l Dee. 1a, w23. A 1;471,919

E. SCHNEIDER APPARATUS. IN AND RELATING TO TRAIL CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTED0N ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT 0F. THE LINE OF FIRE OF'THE GUNFiled April 3o. 192.5 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A z Ig 1 /1 L I f 1 F 3 f 1g.5.15? 5R? 6' B.

Dec. 18 i923'.

. E. SCHNEIDER APPARATUS IN AND RELATING TO TRAIL CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTEDON ENDLESS TRACKS FOR VARYING THE HEIGHT OF THE LINE 0F FIRE OF THE GUNFiled April 30. 1923 5 Sheets-Smet 5 Patented Dee. i8, 1923.

UNH'TED STATES PATEN'r omen.

EUGENE SCHNEIDER, OF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR T0 SCHNEIDER & CIE., OFPARIS, FRANCE, A LIMITED STOCK COMPANY 0F FRANCE.

APPARATUS IN AND RELATING TO TRAIL-CARRIAGE GUNS MOUNTED 0N ENDIlESSTRACKS FOR VARYING- THE HEIGHT OF THE LINE OF FIRE OF THE GUN.

Application filed April 30, 1923.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, EUGNE SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, resident of Paris, France, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus in and Relating to Trail-Carriage Guns Mountedon Endless Tracks for Varying the Height of the Line of Fire of the Gun,which is fully set forth in the following specication.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for varyingin height the line ofire of a gun, such as disclosed in U. S. Patent No.1,429,109, granted Sept. i2, i922.

The apparatus described in the aforesaid patent consists in anintermediate mechanism which is interposed between the gun carriageproper and the endless track trucks for the purpose of enabling the guncarriageV to be turned vertically around the point of support of thetrail tail on the ground so as to produce a relative movement betweenthe gun carriage head and the endless tracks, either by a verticalturning movement of the endless track trucks around the road wheel axle,(in which case the trucks bear upon one of their two wheels), or by theroad wheel axle being raisedl in the trucks which are adapted for thispurpose.

The operation of that intermediate mechanism interposed between the guncarriage and the endless track trucks requires the expenditure of arather considerable ell'ort.

According to the present invention this etort is very considerablyreduced by the provision of a counterbalancing device forcounterbalancing the load which has to be handled in the execution ofthe movements for varying the height of the line of fire of the gun.rlhis counterbalancing device comprises an arrangement of metal or othersprings which expand during the raising of the gun, and which are4compressed by the weight of the load when the gun is lowered.

Two constructional forms of this invention are illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings in which Figures l, 2 and 3illustrate one constructional form of the invention in the case wherethe variations in the height of the line of fire are produced by therocking movement of the endless track trucks around the road wheel axlein accordance with one of the means described in aforesaid patent.

Serial No. 635,722.

Figure l is a longitudinal elevation partly in section taken through oneof the two balancing devices showing the gun carriage with the gun inthe lowest position of the line of tire;

Figure 2 isa similar elevation showing the gun carriage with the gun inthe high position of the line of tire; and

Figure 3 is a partial section (drawn to a larger scale) taken along theline 3 3 of Figure l.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate another embodiment of the presentinvention applicable where variations in height of the line of lire areproduced by shifting the road wheel axle in the endless-track trucks.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal elevation showing the gun in a loweredposition.

Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. l certain parts being broken away for purposesof clearer illustration, and

Fig. 6 is an elevation similar to Fig. 4, showing the gun in a raisedposition and portions of the counterbalance in section.

In Figures l to 3 z-A is the gun carriage trail in the head of which theroad wheel axle is engaged by means of a square portion B (Fig. On thecylindrical portions B1 of the road wheel axle there are adapted to rockthe trucks C which carry the axle pins d and e of the two wheels D and Ewhich serve to guide the endless tracks or belts F.

In the same manner as in the apparatus shown in Figures l-S of PatentNo. l,%29,l09, the intermediate mechanism, by means of which the heightof the line of fire can be varied, comprises a pair of sectors G mountedon the projections B2 ofthe road wheel axle. and formed with a notch,(7. The sectors (i are fixed on the road wheel axle by means of alocking device consisting for instance, as shown of a bolt T jointed att to the road wheel axle, and having` its nose adapted to engage in anotch formed in the huh of the sector G mounted on the road wheel axle.The bolt is kept engaged in the said notch by means of a spring t1. Tounbolt the sector, which` is necessary during transport in order toenable the trucks to rock around the road wheel axle, it is merelynecessary to depress the spindle T1 which is movable in a nut G1 formedon the sector, so that the end of the said spindle shall close thesocket for the bolt, and the latter will no longer project 'from the.road wheel axle. Each of the trucks C has jointed toit as in theexample given in my artoresaid earlier patent, a pair ottenons H, H1arranged radially with reference to the road wheel axle; more strictlyspeaking, each tenon is movable around a pivot pin 7L in a radial planepassing through the axis of the road wheel axle. Each ot these tenonshas a nib 'l which a spring i has a constant tendency to pushoutwardsinto the notch g when the said tenon has been brought Voppositethe latter. A hand lever J is adapted to be iitted upon the tenons l'l,H in turn.

rccordimi to the present invention each sector G is nxed to a boxforming a lodgment for a spring l.- Each spring R bears at one end fragainst one oi'i the closed ends oi the box U, and at its other end r1against a case R1 provided with a rack R2 meshing with a toothed sectorS fixed to the respective endless track truck C. Since the sectors (ilcarrying Vthe boxes are locked to the road wheel axle owing to thespindles T having been moved into position shown in the figure, it ispossible then, by operating the lever J, to execute the operations ofraisingl the line of lire and subsequently lowering it for the purposeof returning the gun into the position of low line of lire or transportposition.

rl`hese operations are effected, in the same manner asA with theintermediate mechanism described in Patent No lAQLlOS), by causing thetenons ll to rock from the outside towards the inside by means out thelevers J. Immediately the nibs l o1E the tenons has moved out of thenotches g, the compressed sn ings R come into action, and in expandingthey rotate the sectors YS, thereby facilitating the raising movement,the force of the springs being added to the energy exerted by theoperators working the levers J. When the tenons H1 come into the radialplane of the notches g, they enter automatically into the notches andthe pai-Ls occupy then the position shown in Figure 2.

To pass from the position shown in Figure 2 into the position shown inFigure l, the operators act upon the tenons H1 which they disengage fromthe notches y, and in the descending movement of the load the sectors S,acting upon the racks R2, return the cases R1 into their initialpositions, thus compressing the springs R.

T he lowering movement ot' the gun is thus braked by the springs R, andthese, becoming` compressed store up the energy which will be requiredfor facilitating' the next raising of the height of the line of iire.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. l to 6, the Aintermediate mechanisminterposed between the gun carriage and the endless track truckscomprises as inthe example shown in Figs. 19-21 of Patent No. 1,429,109,a

slideway V serving 'for the guidance of a road wheel axle box B3 incombination with parts for allowing the said axle box to move in itsslideway, and for stopping it at a variable point of the latter.

rlhe counterbalancing mechanism is constituted according to the presentinvention by springs R each lodged in two cases X Y fitting one intotheother, the case X being pivoted at 03 to its corresponding truck C,while the other case Y is pivoted at g/'to a support b3 iixed to thecorresponding road wheel axle box It `will be perceived that the raisingof the load by shitting the road wheel axle boxes is facilitated by theexpansion of the springs t which have a constant tendency to raise theseaxle boxes.

lnversely, the descent of the road wheel axle boxes is braked by thework ot compressing the springs. 'lhiswork will moreover supply thenecessary energy t'or facilitating the next raising.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, l declare thatwhat l claim is l. A trail gun carriage mounted on endless-track trucks,comprising an axle mounted on said trucks, means on said carriage forraising and lowering the trucks and axle to vary in height the line ofgun-lire, and means on said carriage Ylor counter-balancing the loadincident to raising and lowering said parts, said means comprisingsprings which are expanded when the parts are raised and compressed whenthe parts are lowered.

2. A trail gun carriage mounted on an endless track truck, comprising anaxle rotatably mounted on said truck, means on said carriage for rockingthe endless track truck around said axle to thereby vary in height theline of gun-fire, means l'or counter-balancing the load incident to saidrocking movement, said means comprising two casings. one movable withinthe other, a spring between the outer ends of said casings, and atoothed sector on said truck meshing with a rack on one ot' saidcasings, and a device for locking said counter-balancing means to saidaxle.

3. A trail gun carriage comprising an endless track truck, an axlemovably mounted on said truck, means tor moving said axle in the truckto thereby vary in height the lineV of gun fire, and means :t'orcounterbalancing the load incident to m'ovingsaid axlesaid meanscomprising two casings one fitting within the other, one ot said casingsbeing pivoted to the truck and the other casing being pivotallysupported on said axle, and a spring varranged. in said casings betweenthe outer ends thereof.

4;. ln a gun carriage7 the combination of an axle, an endless-tracktruck movably mounted on said axle, means for producing relativemovements between said truck and axle to thereby vary in height the lineof gun-fire, and means 'for counter-balancing the load incident to saidrelative movements. 5. In a gun carriage, the combination of an axle, anendless-track truck movably mounted on said axle, means for producingrelative movements of said truck and axle to thereby vary in height theline of gunire, and means for counter-balancing the load incident tosaid relative movements, said means comprising, a pair of casingsmovable one within the other and a spring arranged within said casings.

6. In a gun carriage, the combination of an axle, a trail secured tosaid axle, an endless-track truck movably mounted on said axle, meansfor raising and lowering one of said parts whereby the carriage may bemoved about the bearing point of the trail on the ground, and means forcounterbalancing the load incident to raising and lowering said part.

7. In a gun carriage, the combination of an endless-track truck, an axlemounted on said truck for supporting the carriage, a trail secured tosaid axle and providing a fixed bearing point on the ground, means forproviding relative displacement of the truck and axle about said bearingpoint to vary in height the line of gun fire, and a coil spring :forcounter-balancing the load incident to said relative displacement.

8. In a trail gun carriage, the combination of an endless-track truck,an axle journalled on said truck, a trail secured to said axle andproviding a fixed bearing point on the ground, means for turning saidtruck about said axle to vary in height the line of gun fire, and springcounter-balancn ing means for the parts of saidcarriage raised andlowered by the turning movement of said truck.

9. In a trail gun carriage, the combination of an endless-track truck,an axle movably mounted on said truck, devices on said truck and axlefor moving one with respect to the other thereby varying in height theline oi' gun lire, a pair of casings on one of said devices and movableone within the other, a spring arranged in said casings between theouter ends thereof, and means for moving one of said casings to provideexpansion and compression oi said spring, said means being actuated bythe axle and truck on relative movement therebetween.

10. In combination, an endless-track truck, an axle movably mounted onsaid truck, a device for imparting relative movements to said axle andtruck, spring means for counter-balancing the load incident to saidrelative movements, and means for locking said counter-balancing meansto the axle.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specication.

EUGNE SCHNEIDER.

